Dear Brother & Sister

We hasten to answer your letter which expected(?) so much kind solitude(?) for our welfare. 
As the reason is plainly this-William Sax Long was born Jan 9th 1848, he is a fine healthy boy weighing only 10 3/4 lbs when born. 
Now if we have not accomplished as much in silence as you have, then we will give it up. We took the liberty to name him after his uncle
William Sax and hope it will not be long before we shall have the pleasure of seeing him. Now for the news- we recieved your letter written 
in Oct and did not another in until now waiting for the happy event to take place. We commenced keeping house Dec 1st and have everything as
comfortable as we had in Champlaine with a much more conventional and pleasant house. Mother has been with me all winter and will make it her home 
here as long as she stays in Canada. We live in a pleasant little village and the people with whom I have become aquainted I like very much, but after all
it does not seem like home yet, but I presume it will take time. We have a plenty of everything to eat but cannot get coffee to drink for less than 20 cents
a pound, so we do not have much of that. Eliza Hawkins was married Nov 7th to Thomas Payton. Pah's folks are all well. Joseph is one of the best hearted 
brothers I have got, after all he does not have any such word as NO in his catologue, his wife is a very nice woman and she has been as equally kind to us as Joseph.
We recieved letters from William and Henry, and Henry thinks of visiting us next summer. We have had a very warm pleasant winter, not more than 3 inches of snow
with frequent rains and no sleighing. We were very much surprised to hear about your poet(?) turning merchant and think you must regret having such powerful oposition.
But we are in a "random"(?) of wonder and amazement about our loveley daughter May as she must have run against a pair of "unmentionables", let us know in the next-
the particulars  (if there are any). I do not wonder Eliza is lonely without me if she thinks as much and as often as me as I do her. We were never so long
seperated since after birth and with a prospect of being still longer so. But I shall allay(?) on seeing you both next summer, but shall await the time with impatience.
It seems to me the longer the seperation the more I think of you and were it not for the hope of seeing you next summer, I should be decidedly home-sick. 
We recieved a letter from James at the same time we did yours last-tell him I shall answer him as soon as I can get a little better able to write.

Excuse all the mistakes for I have had to rest at least a dozen times since I began. Save all your newspapers and books and bring us alot when you come.
I would like to have you send this letter on the news in to father Longs and James's folks for I shall not write any more letters until I am better able. I am very weak.

Hiram says I have forgotten to tell you that our little William has got a fine head of hair and handsome black eyes. Hiram thinks he is about the most-valuable
piece of smuggled property that we have brought into Canada. Hiram is well and hearty as he has had pleanty of work to keep him busy. There is not a great deal of money
in circulation here but provisions are very cheap, you can buy any quantity of wheat for 65 cents a bushel, pork for 83 1/2 cents. We cannot get any dried apples for less
than 2 dollars a bushel, apples and coffee we miss very much.I want Eliza to dry me all the fruit she can and bring it along when she comes or else she will not
get much choice(?). Mother is well and thinks the boy is just the smartest(?) little chap entirely. Eliza must bring along that cloak of hers to show to the natives. The
greatest inconveneince(?) you will meet with in coming to see us is that you will land in the night at Windsor Bay where you will stay until morning, then there is a 
sleigh(?) that will bring you into to the village of Brooklin, go to Mr Snoydens(?) tavern and you will not find us(?). We want you to write again and let us know what
time we may look for you. Please do send your letter by way of Lewiston N.Y. and then here I will be getting it. Little William is nesting in his cradle and demands me 
that I must close.Yours affectionatley, bother and siter. -Hiram and Caroline

You must remember us to all enquiring friends. Write often and let us know all the news we think we shall visit you soon as the railroad is completed
to Ogdensburgh(?). We send you a card with a lock of my sweet Williams hair.

Yours truly,

Hiram & Caroline Long